Overview

Adaptive management promotes flexible decision-making in cases where natural resources are responsive to management, but there is uncertainty about the impacts of management interventions. It is an iterative process of learning by doing – using science while applying management action.

Adaptive Management: The U.S. Department of the Interior Applications Guide uses natural resource examples to demonstrate how adaptive management can be implemented in the field. The first half of the guide covers the foundations and challenges of adaptive management, including summaries of the principles and relevant issues. This is followed by descriptions of potential and actual applications in four thematic areas:

climate change

water resources

energy resources

the interface of human and natural systems

Case studies show how adaptive management can be used for both management and learning.